Competition Project, 2nd Mention
"I can tell you about the number of steps in the stairways, the depth of the arches in the bridges, the type of lead sheets covering the roofs; but I already know that in the end, I will have said nothing. Because what makes a city a city is not these things, but the relationship between the dimensions it occupies and what has happened in its past... The city absorbs this wave that flows from memories like a sponge and expands. The city does not express its past; it contains its written history in every piece it carries, in the corners of its streets, in the bars of its windows, and in the railings of its stairs, like the lines on the palm of a hand."
Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities | Cities and Memories 3
When examining the urban memory of Fethiye Street, it is evident that it holds the memories of many historical segments, making it a significant urban axis with strong connections to the city and its inhabitants. Over time, Fethiye Street has become a memory route and a focal point for trade and socio-cultural infrastructure in the history of Izmit. It represents one of the oldest memory spaces of the city, characterized by various structural and conceptual identities before and after the 17th August 1999 earthquake. The spatial sections of the street create a woven fabric of past, present, and future, offering a rich tapestry of urban layers that can be interpreted as a design foundation. The street's historical and architectural elements provide a valuable backdrop for understanding the city's evolution and its continuous transformation.
The concept of a street, as one of the most important urban axes where metropolises and large cities interact with their inhabitants, can be reimagined as a movement axis through a design proposal. The aim is to transform the street into a dynamic space by adding social, cultural, artistic, and recreational activities to the focal points along the street that are frequented in everyday life. Additionally, the design intends to elevate the street's facade silhouette into a high-quality architectural layer. By incorporating spaces that encourage city dwellers to stop, observe, contemplate, engage with culture and art, the proposed design creates meeting points for people amidst the imagery of movement within the city. These spaces also strengthen the commercial axis of the street while preserving and harmonizing the memories of the past and the present. The design is envisioned to be seamlessly integrated with the historical identity of the street, enriching it with contemporary elements that promote social interactions, cultural activities, and a vibrant urban atmosphere.
Design decisions include a functional and recyclable infrastructure system, permeable paving, fuga details transformed into water and feeding areas for local fauna, integrated and collaborative urban furniture (seating units and table surfaces), roof systems that change colors according to the street's public space identity and are categorized into three types (glass, closed, and pergola), and natural landscaping and habitat areas suitable for "kuşluk" (bird-watching) spaces, defined as canopy systems developed in stages. These canopy systems are designed to be portable and movable elements. The focal points along the street, such as action and observation spots, green spaces, and different topographies within the urban section, are carefully planned. Hidden water channels and a sustainable infrastructure system are reimagined to improve drainage and waste water management, providing benefits to the city. Additionally, an inactive area connected to the street, Feridun Özbay Street, is integrated into the design as a "pocket stage" in response to the public's demand, supporting cinema, theater, culture, and art activities. A public amphitheater is created by transforming the staircase axis, and ramps and stairs are thoughtfully incorporated in areas with varying elevations, including disabled-friendly elevators and flooring applications.
